Summary of the symbolism of geography in The Great Gatsby
Political scientists will tell you that there is immense symbolic power in geographic opposition. Sometimes it’s for obvious historical reasons, like East vs. West Germany. Other times, the naming mechanism itself is the one that carries the symbolic weight. For example, because North Dakota receives disproportionately fewer tourists each year than South Dakota, it has attempted to drop the word “North” from its name to make it sound like a warmer, more pleasant place. (You might also want to have a chat with the Coen brothers about the whole “Fargo” thing.)
The most obvious geographic opposition that exists in the modern United States is north versus south, but the east-west colonization of the United States also generates interesting symbolism. Just think east coast versus west coast. On one side you have the Old Establishment (New England, the Puritans, Manhattan, Harvard, Yale) and on the other side you have the Young Guns (the frontier, forty-niners, Las Vegas, California, Los Angeles). Unfortunately for the vast swathe of intermediate states, the term “Central America” has no such exciting association.
A great example of how this regional symbolism works can be found in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set on a 1920s East Coast, it uses geography to help establish characters and highlight conflict. Jay Gatsby, originally from North Dakota (brr!), makes a fortune, reinvents himself, heads to Long Island and buys a mansion to reunite with his lost love, Daisy. (Who, by the way, has since married an East Coast millionaire with a Yale degree. How’s that for the symbolic trifecta?) After a lot of partying and a lot of drinking, Jay and Daisy renew their relationship.
However, without going too far into a summary of the Great Gatsby, let’s just say that it doesn’t end well. One of the major red flags Gatsby throws up for the East Coast elite is his incomplete education. Even though he does an unexpected “I’ll-see-your-Yale-and-raise-you-Oxford” about Daisy’s husband, littering their house with books and calling everyone “old friends,” it turns out that Gatsby only attended college. college for five years. months. Established, high-society, and eastern as Oxford may be, Gatsby clearly hasn’t spent enough time achieving sophisticated speech or demeanor.
The other big hurdle is Gatsby’s illegitimacy on the East Coast throne. Although he is absurdly rich, his wealth is “new” and therefore inferior to Daisy’s husband. This is reflected in the fact that Gatsby lives in West Egg and not East Egg, where Daisy lives: East Egg is not only the most respectable neighborhood, but also evokes East/West, old/new, Manhattan/Hollywood. which makes Gatsby look like a fraudulent newcomer. (Which, to be fair, it is.)
With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise that his character’s intro and ending are based on the symbolism of that “green light” you probably remember from one of the Great Gatsby’s most famous quotes: gazing longingly over water. Gatsby stretches his arms out to the east toward the money-colored light emanating from Daisy’s house. Although this is the closest he will ever come to achieving the status of a Manhattan social elite, the real tragedy is that Gatsby is the last to know.
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